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‘Angels in America’ To Play Five More Weeks, With New Cast Members

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‘Angels in America’ To Play Five More Weeks, With New Cast Members

By Patrick Healy November 30, 2010 6:52 pmNovember 30, 2010 6:52 pm

Michael Urie (ABC’s “Ugly Betty”) and Adam Driver (“Mrs. Warren’s Profession”) will take over the central roles of Prior Walter and his unfaithful lover Louis Ironson in the current Off Broadway revival of “Angels in America” on Feb. 2, 2011, and play for a new five-week extension of the production through March 27, Signature Theater Company announced on Tuesday.

Mr. Urie, who made his Off Broadway debut in 2009 in “The Temperamentals,” and Mr. Driver will succeed Christian Borle and Zachary Quinto in those roles in “Angels,” Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning play about AIDS and relationships in Reagan-era America.

Also departing the production after their final performances on Sunday, Jan. 30, will be its three actresses: Robin Bartlett (who plays Hannah Pitt), Zoe Kazan (Harper Pitt), and Robin Weigert (the Angel).

A production spokesman said that all five actors have scheduling conflicts that prevents them from continuing in the play, which they have been with since rehearsals began in early summer.

In announcing the cast changes, Signature said that the actress Lynne McCollough (Off Broadway’s “Cavedweller” in 2003) will succeed Ms. Bartlett as Hannah. Casting for the roles of Harper and the Angel will be announced later.

Asked why Signature was re-casting five major roles and going back into rehearsals for a relatively brief eight weeks of performances, the spokesman for the show said that “Angels” had been a significant success for the theater and there was a strong desire to continue the run.

Tickets for the five-week extension will be $85, which will help earn money to cover costs for the handsome production; tickets through the fall have been available for $20 through the underwriting program of the Signature Ticket Initiative.

The first major New York revival of “Angels” since its original Broadway run in 1993 and 1994, the nonprofit Signature production opened in October to generally positive reviews, though not strong enough to achieve the transfer to a commercial Broadway run that some had hoped for.

Regardless, the production has been a hot ticket for Signature. The run was originally scheduled to end on Dec. 19, but was extended until Jan. 30, then Feb. 20, and now to March 27. The next production at Signature, of Mr. Kushner’s play “The Illusion,” is not scheduled to begin performances until April 19.

The “Angels” cast also includes Bill Heck as Joe Pitt, Billy Porter as Belize, and Frank Wood as Roy Cohn; all three are expected to remain through the latest extension. The production was directed by Michael Greif (“Next to Normal,” “Rent”).